Donegal Local Development CLG (DLDC), in partnership with creative media training company, Póca Productions, has officially launched Social Participation and Combating Exclusion (SPACE), a new €200,000 countywide programme designed to bring younger and older people together to build stronger, more connected communities across Donegal.
A project supported by PEACEPLUS; a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), SPACE will work with up to 375 participants over the next 20 months, pairing two generations, people under 18 and people over 60, on 16 shared creative and practical projects.
Participants will take part in a wide range of hands-on activities, from documentary filmmaking and songwriting to home baking, gardening, guided nature walks, bicycle repair and soapbox car building. Each project is built around a simple idea: that people of different ages learning together can break down barriers, build trust, and form lasting friendships.
The programme responds to a clear and growing need. Donegal is one of the oldest counties in Ireland, and older people in rural areas are significantly more likely to experience social isolation due to transport barriers, dispersed communities and limited access to services. SPACE aims to address that isolation by creating meaningful opportunities for connection, participation and shared learning.
SPACE which is managed by DLDC’s Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) Community Development Team, has extensive experience in connecting communities. The Programme will work closely with Older Persons’ Groups, the Donegal Age Friendly Alliance and communities across the county to ensure inclusive and accessible participation.
Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council Cllr Paul Canning said: “The true strength of any community lies in its people, in the relationships we build, the understanding we foster, and the opportunities we create for one another. The SPACE Programme is an investment in those relationships, an investment in connection, inclusion, and hope.”
DLDC CEO Padraic Fingleton said: “There’s something very powerful about bringing younger and older generations together. Older people have a lifetime of experience to share, while younger people bring fresh energy and new perspectives. We’re proud to be working with Póca Productions and the Donegal Age Friendly Alliance to deliver this PEACEPLUS-funded programme and to see generations connected across the county.”
Póca Productions have designed a suite of eight projects for the programme, covering aspects of digital technology, heritage, creativity, music, health and wellbeing, sustainability and growing food for the programme. Each project is designed to bring together people of different ages from across all communities in meaningful engagement through shared learning activities.
Camilla Meegan, Founder Póca Productions said: “We are delighted to be partnering with DLDC on this fantastic intergenerational programme. We have brought together a talented team of facilitators from across many disciplines to provide a broad range of project activities, and we are very excited to see how meaningful connections will be fostered across the generations through shared experience and collaboration on each of the different projects.”
This countywide project is funded through Donegal County Council’s €7.6m PEACEPLUS Local Co-designed Action Plan under theme 2: Thriving and Peaceful Communities.
The ‘SPACE’ Programme is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
